Not a controller - A quick and dirty Midi Keyboard and cheap too…
Amazon
I’ve ordered one will post my thoughts when it arrives. Has a built in Arpeggiator also and Tap Tempo which I suppose can be mapped to anything in Rack.
Yes, but with fundamental you can only map cc, so if your pads only send notes you are SOL, yes? Some keyboards don’t seem to be mappable, some people don’t like the mapping software for Arthurian. Those are my concerns.
Nice! I need some knobs, however, for the testing.
MIDI-GATE maps notes to gate outputs.
well, yes, I meant “fundamental midi mapper only lets you use cc to control a switch on a module”. That’s correct, yes?
omg I never thought that a pad could be used for notes 
… 
ok now I understand your point
yeah, I think by default they often are mapped to notes - for playing drum machines.
Yup, my alesis percpad sends notes so I use MIDI-GATE for that, have to get velocity data from MIDI-CV though.
MIDI-Gate has a velocity mode on its context menu.
DOH!!! Thank you 
Hmm, on the fence with this. Considering returning…
The key action is so so (velocity sensitive) when pressed down they feel a little bit flimsy, if you pressed hard enough overtime it would probably break the plastic spring underneath. It will work out of the box for incoming notes / arp just fine. But trying to send a clock to the arp is rather difficult. Can’t get it to work in Rack. In other software it was not working for external clock at first then started working for some weird reason when I selected a different device not connected.
For getting a quick melody or tune it is okay but you would not be calling it your goto! The arpeggiator is great fun to use and with the keys having second functions (1/4 note - 1/32T, arp order - random, up, down, inclusive, exclusive, ordered - arp oct x4, preset change) it makes it functional. Would be good if it had an external/internal clock function also. For the £30 I spent on it it is not worth the hassle trying to figure out how to send the clock from Rack
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The thread is old … but still. I used to use a custom solution for with a python script. I’m receiving midi information from the Nekatr Impact and using the bank knobs to switch between presets. So when I twist the knob 1 it sends out e.g. midi cc 21. knob 2 22 and so on. When I press bank 2 the python script sends out cc 31, 32 … and so on. You could also combine this with global hotkeys of your keyboard or what ever other controller you have to switch banks for the faders and knobs on each and every controller you have. If this simplistic approach. Have a look here: Python scripted generative Plugin? Looking for feedback, collaborators
Does anyone know if there are cheaper versions of a product like this: https://www.thomann.de/be/faderfox_pc12.htm ?
Or something like this: https://www.bax-shop.nl/midi-studio-controllers/devine-ez-creator-fade-usb-midi-controller
And if there would be any difference if you purely want USB MIDI functionality?
Thanks!
I use this one and love it: Faderfox UC4
check out the Midi Fighter Twister
Only 16 knobs but… each knob can also be a button or can be 2 knobs (by having a second knob control when button is down). And then there are 4 banks. So actually it is like 128 knobs…
And it is built like a tank.
Hmm…for about that much money you could also buy a Model:Samples, which can do a lot standalone, although it only has 12 smaller knobs (16 note pads though).
The Akai Midimix is good for it`s price. The novation LaunchControl XL is very nice and flexible, with only one small flaw: it emits a little bit of high frequency noise.
I really love my Midilar:
The guy building it was very friendly would highly recommend supporting him.I own an Original Beatstep, which is quite cheap. It makes a formidable Knob bank for VCV. And there is also a neat little sequencer 
. You are only getting 16 knobs, but for less than 100$, and in a unit that still has very nice build quality.
Arduino would be the best choice if serial communication was implemented in Rack. You could’ve easely built your own custom midi controller for a fraction of the cost of commertial ones. Finger’s crossed while waiting for this to happen one day.